Cat's Paw Nebula (NGC 6334) - Webb + Chandra

Part of a collection of images from Chandra and other telescopes features regions where stars are forming, areas often nicknamed “stellar nurseries.” X-rays are energetic enough that they can penetrate the gas and dust of these regions, giving insight to the young stars and other high-energy phenomena that are happening within, including the effects of X-rays on any planets or planet-forming disks orbiting the stars.

This image: The Cat’s Paw Nebula including X-rays from Chandra (pink) and infrared data from James Webb. A mottled patch of purple at the center reveals young, million-year-old stars tucked behind thick, overlapping rings of dark orange cosmic dust. The pockets of blue sky appearing through the clouds highlight the complex structure of this stellar nursery.

Credit: X-ray: NASA/SAO/CXC; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major